How to Harvest Goji Berries

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How to Harvest Goji Berries

Overview

The goji berry (Lycium barbarum) is used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments from high blood pressure to poor eyesight. Extract from its berries can be found in a number of vitamins, health supplements and drinks on the market today. But to maximize the health benefits of the goji berry, it is best to harvest and eat them fresh off of the plant. At this point, their nutritional value is the highest.

Step 1

Monitor your goji berry plant from June to October to determine when the goji berries are ripening. Goji berry bushes ripen at different times during the growing season in different climates. Goji berries are ripe when they turn bright red and they are juicy, not firm, on the inside. But don't harvest too late. At the end of the season, the goji berry fruit will burst open to disperse its seeds on the ground and it will be too late to harvest the berries.

Step 2

Grasp the small stem that connects the goji berry to the main stem with your thumb and forefinger. Stabilize the main stem with your other hand, and pull the goji berries off one by one.

Step 3

Wash the goji berries before consuming them, even if they are home grown.

Tips and Warnings

Do not eat unripe goji berries. Although there is no direct evidence that they are poisonous, the plant belongs to a family whose berries often contain toxins at the unripened stage.

References

About this Author

Emma Gin is a freelance writer who specializes in green, healthy and smart living. She is currently working on developing a weight-loss website that focuses on community and re-education. Gin is also working on a collection of short stories, because she knows what they say about idle hands.